


Disgrace

by FlameRP



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-01-26 21:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12566336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameRP/pseuds/FlameRP
Summary: Aang failed. Ozai and Azula rule the world, there are two small hopes left  but will they be able to find each other, work together and restore balance to the world?





	1. Prologue: Aang

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the person on Instagram who gave me the inspiration to write this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang's life after he was defeated by Ozai

“You're weak, just like the rest of your people. They did not deserve to live in this world, in my world!” Ozai bellowed over the sound of his jets of fire that threw the ball of rock around like it was the smallest pebble. “Prepare to join them. Prepare to die!” He yelled like the insane maniac he was, unleashing a gigantic ball of fire that cracked the rock shell, the comet-enhanced firebending doing its thing.  
“Uggggghhh” Aang groaned, he had been chucked back into the stone pillar behind him by the force of the fire blast. He yelled in terror, Ozai was coming down on top of him, propelled by massive jets of fire. “I'm sorry, Katara” he whispered, closing his eyes he felt the fire against every part of his body. He tried to will his chakra to open but it remained as shut as it had done the past few months since he was hit by Azula’s lightning.  
“You fought valiantly, for a cowardly airbender, now, will you accept your fate?”  
“I will... Not!!”  
“Shame” Ozai cackled without a hint of remorse then shoved his hand into Aang’s chest and released another powerful fire blast into his already weakened body.

“Do not kill him, father” a voice called, Azula had arrived  
“Azula, what are you doing here?”  
“Zuko came to fight me, I killed him and that Water Tribe Peasant”  
“Well done, Azula”  
“Father, if you kill him, we’ll just face the same problem again in another twelve years”  
“But if I keep him alive, barely, then the Avatar won't pose a threat?”  
“Precisely, father”  
“Our airships have been destroyed by the Avatar’s friends, have them found and killed. The Phoenix King has risen!”  
“Yes, your majesty”  
“D... Don't do this... Please, the world needs... Peace”  
“The world will have peace. Without the Avatar, the world will peacefully prosper under my rule!”  
“There is one airship left, father”  
“Take it and take him back to the Fire Nation” Ozai waved his hand at Aang in dismissal  
“Yes, father”  
“And don't let him escape like that Zhao failure did at the North pole!”  
“No, father”

“What do we do?” Sokka asked, his leg was broken and he was limping heavily, Toph was tired and weak after the extensive metalbending she had been forced to perform, her arm hung limply at her side  
“Retreat” Sokka turned to Suki angrily. “What choice do we have?”  
“We could fight?”  
“And die?” Toph asked unhelpfully  
“Or we could kill Aang?”  
Sokka turned to look at Suki, “what?”  
“We could kill Aang. He’s their prisoner”  
“Katara wouldn't want that”  
“Guys, we've gotta move!” Toph exclaimed and pulled them all along with her  
“Hey!” Sokka yelped, he watched while the Fire Nation soldiers overflowed into where they had been hidden  
“If we had stayed there, Sokka, we would've died”  
“Maybe it's better to die fighting than to run”  
“Sokka, she's right” Suki spoke up, “better to prepare for another day than to die fruitlessly today”  
“We’ll head to the Fire Nation and try to find a way to free Aang, we’ll also look for your sister and Zuko while we're there”  
“It doesn’t feel right, yanno, giving up”  
“We aren't giving up. In fact, this is just beginning”

“Good morning, scum!” a different voice than the one the figure who was tied up had become used to. The person was tied up completely and unable to move more than a few millimetres. “Breakfast” he chucked the bowl into the platinum and wood prison and the individual in the chains remained unable to reach it. “Sucks to be you, doesn't it?” he laughed before moving on to another cell  
“Oh” Aang softly sighed, his eyes still red from crying, but not as red or as raw as the vast majority of his body. His body was one massive scar, his unwanted daily reminder that he had failed the entire world. He had long since given up trying to get the guards to help him. Every time he had asked he had been electrocuted by his restraints, while the blasts were never enough to kill him, they maimed him every time they were turned on. He had many burn wounds on his wrists and ankles from the electricity that coursed through his body at least once a day.  
“How's my favourite prisoner?” a voice cooed  
“Ugh. Azulaaaaaaaaghh” Aang screamed when more electricity tore through his body  
“You will address me as Fire Lord Azula!”  
“Ugh. _Fire Lord_ Azula, you do know I'm nearly thirty, don't you?”  
“Yes. But you're our prisoner”  
“What's your dad up to today? Murdering more innocent civilians?”  
“If they hide any of the fugitives then you know as well as I do they're not innocent”  
“So... You still can't find them?”  
“No” Azula hissed  
“Azula, is that you?”  
“Shut up, Mai” Azula hissed. “In fact, you've been scheduled for execution”  
“About time” Mai's eye roll was apparent in her voice  
“You and Ty Lee will be executed tomorrow morning”  
“Great... I mean I've only been in this cage for a few years”  
“Five, in fact”  
“Exactly” Mai turned to look at Ty Lee who smiled at Azula  
“Come join us Azula for old times sake!”  
“You're cringe-worthy, Ty Lee, but I still love you all the same”  
“Thanks, Mai”  
“Now, Azula, where's my ex?”  
Azula laughed sickeningly, “he's dead!” She poked her head around the edge of the cage, “I got my first wish over seventeen years ago”  
“Bullfrogcrap”  
“Deny it all you want”  
“How much longer will I be in this cage?” Aang asked  
“Until you're at least two hundred and thirty” Azula declared, thrilled

“Hey you, prisoner!” Aang felt a huge electric shock course through his body, “time to wake up and pay your respects to Phoenix King Ozai”  
“Is he dead?” Aang’s body was still as scarred as it has been all those years ago when he had been defeated by Ozai. He was led there in the middle of his cage, still pinned down by all the platinum chains he had been pinned down by since day one. Though his entire body looked better than it had done when he had first been thrown in the cell, that was just the healing hand of time rather than anything else. He felt exhausted though, every single day he woke up more tired than he had done previously, he knew he was only fifty-two but he felt much older. His question got another electric shock, then it stopped. Aang lifted his head in confusion, the shooting pain and uncontrollable shaking usually went on for at least two minutes.  
“Yes” a familiar voice replied  
“Z... Zuko?”  
“Yes”  
'Hi, Aang”  
“Katara?”  
“Yea, it's me”  
“W... What are you doing here?” he snapped, he hadn’t heard a friendly voice since Mai and Ty Lee had faced their executions  
“Coming to help you of... Oh Aang, what did they do to you?”  
“Katara... I love you”  
Zuko facepalmed, “right now?”  
“Yes, Zuko, right now” Aang glared at him, “leave us please”  
“Aang... We’re here to rescue you”  
“No, Katara, you don't understand. I feel weaker day by day, I want you to help me with carrying on my culture”  
“But we need to get you out of here”  
“It's too late”  
“I'm sorry, Aang” Katara whispered, Aang and Katara moved closer and kissed, quickly moving on to other things as they knew that were running out of time  
“Now go!” Aang commanded. He refused to say another word to them until they had left and had been gone for a fair few minutes. “Goodbye” he whispered.

“Wake up, prisoner” Aang was sixty-six and he had died peacefully in his sleep. Fortunately, the guard had been visiting less and less recently, since Ozai’s death Azula had taken over and had ruled the world with an iron fist. Over the years, she and her father had defeated the Earth Kingdom rebellions, crushed the Northern Water Tribe and subjugated every citizen in the world, except, of course, those who were legally dead. Toph, Zuko, Sokka, Suki and Katara, as well as their children, Bumi, Tenzin, Kya, Suyin, Lin and Izumi were all that was left to oppose the Fire Nation, but through them, hope remained alive. They had retreated into a city of metal that was thought of more as a myth than a fact. Zaofu. The unofficial heart of the free world and the last free city to exist buried deep underground

“What do you disturb my royal duties for, guard?” Azula spat, her three daughters and one son sat beneath her throne, watching the guard with something close to hatred in their eyes  
“It’s the prisoner, he's dead”  
“What?!”  
“Aang is dead”  
“How long ago did he pass away?”Azula’s oldest asked  
“No way to tell”  
“Can I fill him with explosions, mom?” she asked  
“No, P'Li, but this is unfortunate. I think I had just uncovered a way to kill the Avatar for good”  
“What should we do, mother?”  
“You will travel to the Northern Water Tribe and round up all pregnant women, and you two will do the same in the South”  
“Yes, mother” they bowed and ran off

Two weeks later, P’Li and Zin arrived at the South Pole, they quickly rounded up all the pregnant women and escorted them to the Fire Navy ships that awaited them. They had caught sight of one woman disappearing into the distance, Zin gave chase but found nothing. “Perhaps it was an ice mirage” Zin muttered out loud. She turned back and returned to P'Li. “Nope, nothing out there”  
The woman, Senna breathed a sigh of relief when her husband, Tonraq joined her. “How did you know?” he asked  
“I don't know” Senna replied, “they came for all the pregnant woman, does that mean the previous Avatar is dead?”  
“Possibly”  
“Tonraq, I think our daughter may be _the one_ ”


	2. Avani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope has been reborn

“Avatar Aang is a disgusting disgrace to the name of the avatar and a coward who ran away then failed!” A man atop a box called to a small assembled crowd. “The avatar failed us, he is, as we speak, locked away in some Fire Nation dungeon somewhere, having not made a single attempt to correct his mistakes and he left us to fend for ourselves!”  
“Yeah!” A man in the crowd yelled  
“This town was once damaged by the avatar, Kyoshi killed Chin, and then when Aang saved us from the Rough Rhino invasion, we thought everything had changed, but we were wrong. Aang sacrificed the world so he wouldn’t have to endure some spiritual suffering!”  
“Yeah!”  
“He didn't want to kill Ozai, which lost him the battle and lost us our... argh!” The man keeled forward, a smoking hole in his back  
“Anyone else?” a menacing voice growled, her finger outstretched in front of her  
“Princess Zin!” one of the assembled people squeaked and attempted to run. She shrugged before blasting him with a bolt of lightning  
“I would've thought you peasants would've learnt your lesson” she hissed. “Be thankful it’s me here, not my siblings”  
The woman snuck off down a side street, she had been watching the rally with some interest but has decided to make herself scarce once the Fire Nation Princess had appeared. “Shit”  
“You know I try to be fair, not kill unless it's by Imperial Decree” Zin carried on, “but trying to incite rebellion is still a crime mandated by the death penalty.” She paused, “while I think it's good that you remember Aang for the failure he was and how we squashed out all possibility of the avatar being let loose by taking all the unborn Water Tribe babies and raising them in our special prison...”  
“Was? Aang is dead?”  
“Yes”  
“Have you found the new avatar then?”  
“Yes” Zin lied, hoping nobody had seismic sense, she watched the crowd for a few seconds then to her relief, realised she wouldn't have to zap anyone else, yet. None of the babies had yet developed any bending powers other than the waterbending their people were known for  
“Phew” sighed the woman who had left the rally at Zin's appearance, “fuck.” She knocked on a metal crate three times, the lid of the crate lifted and the side moved out of the way  
“Senna” he smiled  
“Hey, love” Senna sighed, “shall we go indoors?”  
“Come in” Senna crawled through the gap and looked around, she saw the familiar tunnel that went under the nearby houses and off into the open area by the river and she saw her husband, Tonraq. “How is she, Tonraq?” Senna asked once the hidden doorway was closed once again, just in time because a group of people ran past seconds later  
“She's doing better. Her body is finally used to the medication”  
“Good. Good. Is it working?”  
“Yes. She hasn't bent another shard of ice at me since that first time all those years ago”  
“Yet it took her this long to adapt to the medication?”  
“Yes, it’s pretty potent stuff, that anti-bending drug, but as far as anyone else is aware, our daughter is just an earthbender. Hopefully, it'll be as permanent as the people who helped us make it said it would be, I’d hate for us to be out one day and someone to see her waterbend.” He looked at Senna with concern “What's wrong?”  
“That Zin is in town, again”  
“She murder a few more people?”  
“Of course, and she acts as if she's the decent one”  
“Ugh. That bitch. Come on, you still got the antidote?”  
Senna checked her necklace quickly, “yup”  
“That's good, now, let's get back to our daughter”  
“Avani?” Senna called, she hated the name but knew it was a necessity  
“Yes, mom?” a voice called back, the voice belonged to someone no older than thirteen  
“Come give me a cuddle”  
“Mom” she ran up and cuddled into her mother, every time her mother or father went out she had dreams about them burning. “I missed you”  
“I missed you too, sweetie”

Senna and Tonraq were waterbenders, but their daughter, who had been named Korra, had first started earthbending when she was four. A few weeks later she began waterbending and firebending but due to the current situation, they had to find a way to suppress Korra's bending. They found a way on top of a mountain in the Earth Kingdom where they had fled to after the Fire Nation had attempted to round up all the pregnant women. They had been holed up in those accommodations for only a few weeks when the Abbey which they had been residing in had been unexpectedly visited by a number of Fire Nation inspectors who wanted to know if the Mother Superior had been hiding any fugitives, before that they had resided in the ruins of Taku until they were, again, forced to flee. The members of the Herbalist Institute in Taku had been kind enough to help them in their efforts to create a drug to suppress three of the four bending arts and they had been giving it to Korra for a number of years, they had been dissolving it in Korra's evening mango juice. The herbalists had insisted that they remain until the side effects died down but the universe had other ideas, an avalanche destroyed the Institute and left the family homeless once again. They had the medication which they had been told to give to Korra once a day for as long as they could so that it built up in Korra's chi pathways to prevent the energy from flowing and the antidote which would remove the drug from Korra's body. The family moved on, thankful that Korra would be, for the time being, just an earthbender. Korra had, once she was old enough to understand, asked why she was an earthbender but both of her parents were waterbenders, Senna had lied and told Korra that her mother was Earth Kingdom in origin. They had vowed not to tell Korra who she really was until she had reached adulthood, that meant concealing Senna's true heritage as Southern Water Tribe with no Earth Kingdom blood in her body, Tonraq's original heritage of the Northern Water Tribe, her name and her other bending abilities. Their daughter was the avatar, yes, but she was also their daughter and they knew she wasn't ready to face that destiny just yet.

“Mom, why did you go?”  
“Heard there was a rally in town, decided to have a look”  
“What was it about?”  
“The usual. Aang the failure”  
“Mommy I want to correct his failures”  
“I know you do, sweetie”  
Screams echoed out above the ground. Tonraq turned and faced the entrance, “you know what to do”  
“But dad”  
“Go”  
“Daddy!”  
“Go!”  
“Alright, dad” Korra turned her back on her parents and earthbent a tunnel big enough for her, she crawled down it, sealing it behind her  
There was the sound of metal melting. “Fugitives! Water Tribe people out of their city, take them away!”  
Senna and Tonraq made no effort to resist, they were dragged to their feet and bundled into a prison trailer. “Why are you dragging us away?”  
“Queen Azula ordered that all citizens of her Empire were to be returned to their original society”  
“But _why_?”  
“I don't argue with the Queen” he stated calmly and walked around to the front of the truck


	3. New friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra meets some fellow Street kids

“Mommy?” Korra crawled through back in to what had once been her home, the stench of ash wafted over her immediately, she resisted the urge to hurl. “Daddy?” she had found a half burnt picture of the family when they were happy, it was a picture she had seen many times but she hadn't ever imagined would be destroyed in a sudden and pointless bout of violence. “Mommy” she sobbed. She looked up in the mirror and cried even more, she immediately realised she didn't even have their blue eyes to remember them by. She was also thirsty so she walked over to the small bowl-shaped rock outcropping where they kept their drinks. Usually there was ice in the dip in the rock, but that day it was just water and the normally ice cold drinks were lukewarm. “No... No...” she rocked backwards and forwards for a few hours but eventually she calmed enough to move and leave. She kissed her fingers then put them against the picture which she had picked off the floor and carefully placed it on the rock shelf that had served as their dinner table for many meals.

“Hey, kid” a stranger leered at Korra once she had resurfaced and began to walk slowly through the town, she had never actually walked through the town before  
“Go away” Korra squeaked, pulling her arm away from the man when he reached out towards her  
“Is there a problem?” an older boy had walked up and was eying the older man carefully  
“No” he grunted  
“Is there a problem?” he repeated to Korra  
“No” she replied, she moved to walk away once the creepy old man had gone on with whatever business he was doing but the older boy called out to her  
“Wait!”  
“What?”  
“Do you have somewhere to stay? The streets of this town aren’t safe after dark for young girls”  
“I'll be fine”  
“Don't be stubborn” he sighed, “my name is Mako, what's yours?”  
“Avani” she replied  
“Earth Kingdom?” Mako asked she nodded, “my younger brother is Earth Kingdom and an earthbender”  
“I'm an earthbender too!” Korra squeaked  
“Come on let's go” Mako looked at her expectantly and they both walked away towards a house in the distance

“Hi! My name is Bolin! You can call me Bo though” Bolin had Korra in an embrace the moment she stepped through the door  
“Let her go, Bo, you're killing her”  
“Hi, Bo” Korra giggled. She sat down opposite him and sipped her cup of water. “So... Who are you two?”  
“We're just orphans” Bolin explained. Korra looked down, “did I say something wrong?”  
“No, it's just... I'm an orphan too”  
“Oh I'm so sorry” Bolin moved to hug her again but Mako put a cautionary hand on his shoulder  
“No, Bo, don't hug her again”  
“Aww” Bolin looked away

*****

“What do you mean you haven't been able to find the avatar?!”  
“Queen Azula... None of the Water Tribe children have shown any sign of being the avatar”  
“Get out of my sight!” Azula screamed and he hurried off without a backward glance. “Zin, P'Li, Oza, get out there and find all the Water Tribe children that may have been missed”  
“Yes, mother, but won't that take years?”  
Azula was about to reply but she was interrupted before she could utter a single syllable, “Your Majesty!”  
“Who said you could enter?”  
“I'm sorry... Hear me out...”  
“Fine”  
“We found a small group of Water Tribe refugees hiding in Earth Kingdom territory... We have arrested them all and are in the process of returning them to their native lands”  
“Are any of them with any children?”  
“No, your majesty”  
“Then they must be hiding elsewhere” she looked the soldier in the eye, “dismissed!” she barked and the soldier ran out hurriedly. “Zin, P'Li, Oza, go!” she hugged each of her two daughters and her son quickly but they knew that if they failed she wouldn’t be overly understanding  
“Yes, mother”  
“We understand, mother”  
“Then go, kids, and bring that avatar scum back to me here. It won't be much younger than you but if it resists, burn it. If it goes into the avatar state, P'Li, fill it with explosions”  
“I understand, mother, we understand”  
“Then go”

*****

“Avani?”  
“Yes, Bolin?”  
“You don't like me, do you?”  
“Of course I like you!”  
“But not the same way as I like you”  
“I'm sorry Bo”  
“It's my brother, isn't it?”  
“What?”  
“you like Mako?”  
“No. I'm kinda... Not into guys” _but Mako is hot, even I, the most lesbian of all lesbians ever to girlbend have to admit he is smokin' hot_  
“Then don't you worry, we will find you a nice lady friend”  
Korra blushed, “shut up, Bo”  
“Avani?” Mako called  
“Yes, Mak?”  
Mako growled a little at the nickname but ignored it, “you gonna join us for food?”  
“I’m starving” Korra sat down and enjoyed her first meal in over thirty hours


	4. Beifong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra falls ill and Mako gets help from a living legend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay...

“Avani, are you alright, you're burning up...”  
“I'm fine, Mako”  
“You don't look well, Avani”  
“I... Maybe you're right” Korra clenched her fists in the way that only a young teenager did. She had been hiding out with Mako, Bolin and a few other street rats of varying ages for a number of days when she started feeling a little sick. Mako and Bolin allowed them to stay in their home knowing that if they left they'd probably be killed quite quickly, in exchange for assistance around the house and occasionally running an errand or two for the police force that Mako served. His Chief, a man called Saikhan was in Mako’s own words a 'limp noodled twattish pig', but it was a job, it paid for the house, kept him with his brother and was enough to feed all the hungry mouths in the evening. Mako looked around and two of Korra's fellow orphans ran up to him  
“Tahno, Skoochy, keep an eye on Avani, I'm going to see if I can find the local Herbalist”  
“Right” Tahno sat next to Korra and grabbed a cloth, soaking it through and cooling it with his waterbending. “Here, Avani” he whispered, well aware that a fever or migraine can cause intense hypersensitivity to sound and light  
“What's going on?” Bolin had joined them  
“Avani doesn't look too good, I'm going to find the Herbalist see if she can take a look at her”  
“Nobody's seen her for weeks Mako, not since that Princess popped by for a visit the first time”  
“Oh, I hope she didn't...” Mako growled, “well I'm off to find help”  
“See ya, bro. Happy hunting”

Mako had covered a large portion of the city, he visited the Herbalist’s shop and sure enough it was boarded up as Bolin had indicated. “Shit!!” He then heard noises coming from behind the boarded up windows. “Stay where you are!” He demanded, “police!”  
A fearful squeak caught him off guard, he broke down the wooden boards but found himself sprawled on the ground, a piece of pipe floating over him. “Leave me alone!”  
“Ugh. I'm a police officer and you can't just break into someone’s house”  
“Leave me alone!” the voice squeaked again,  
“I'm not going to hurt you” it had taken Mako a few moments to work it out, he was speaking to a frightened child.  
“Go away!”  
“My name is Mako, who are you?” Mako waited, “what's your name?”  
“Are you here to take me back?”  
“Take you where?”  
“To that place they kept saying was my 'home’?”  
“No, I don't even know where your home is, kid”  
“My name is... Kuvira” _better not tell him my surname in case he does decide to take me back for whatever reward she's offered for my safe return_  
“Kuvira, huh? Isn't that an Earth Kingdom name?”  
“Yes, what of it?”  
“So why are you hiding in your own territory?” Mako asked. “You don't have to answer that” he added  
“You are trembling in fear, Mako”  
“One of my friends is very sick”  
“The Herbalist is dead I am afraid” Kuvira whispered reluctantly, “but I guess I could have a look at them for you?” _what the fuck am I saying?_  
“Thanks” Mako smiled and Kuvira crawled out of her little bundle of blankets that she was attempting to use to keep herself warm. “You know I've got a nice warm fire” Mako offered, “Kuvira”  
“Thank you... But I'm nearly fourteen now I should be able to take care of myself!”  
“Nonsense, come on”

“You know, I may know somewhere where this girl can get help?” Kuvira whispered. They had been sitting by Korra's bed for about five minutes before Kuvira had spoken  
“Really?”  
“Really really, the best healer in the world lives there”  
“But...”  
“She's too weak to travel? I know, that's why I went into that shop before coming back here... Now, I can stay for another few minutes but then I'll have to go”  
“What why?”  
“Because I told that shopkeeper my name and my wanted poster is all over the place”  
“Wanted poster, are you some kind of criminal?”  
“Oh oops, I keep forgetting. My missing person poster, sorry. It just feels like a fucking wanted poster, yanno?”  
“Missing person?” Korra croaked  
“Avani” Kuvira smiled at her  
“Who are you?”  
“My name is Kuvira,” she lowered her voice so nobody other than Korra could hear her, “ _Beifong_ ”  
“B...” Korra began but Kuvira put a finger on Korra's lips, silencing her  
“Hush now, Avani, what I said was for you alone” Kuvira sighed, “they'll be here soon” Kuvira sighed sadly. “ I have to go, goodbye, Avani”  
“No...” Korra was held down firmly by Bolin and Tahno while Kuvira left unhindered  
“Seriously Korra you only met her for like twenty seconds”  
“She's so scared... And alone... Wish she'd let someone get close” Korra muttered sadly

A few hours later there was a knock on the door then a splinter as it was torn off its hinges and thrown against the wall on the other side of the room. A middle-aged woman walked in wearing green with metal on her shoulders. “Right, search the place, I want to find her before she runs again”  
“Can I help you?” Mako scowled at the damage they did to his door  
“The name's Suyin. Where is she?” Suyin hissed  
“Who?”  
“Kuvira! I know she's here, someone called it in!”  
“Su...”  
“What, Katara?!”  
“Can you hear that coughing?”  
“A little busy here”  
“Well you go looking for her and I'll see who's coughing”  
“You, young man, come with me” the elderly Katara demanded of Mako  
“Sure”  
“Oh, my!” Katara took one look at the young girl in the bed and immediately began waterbending to heal her  
“What's wrong with her, miss?” Bolin wiped the sleep from his eyes  
“Please hush”  
Suyin growled and yelled in frustration. “She's not here!”  
“Calm down Su, we will find her” another woman replied  
“I'm scared, Lin”  
“I know” the woman called Lin took control and Mako found himself withering under Lin's glare. “You will tell me what you know about Kuvira's whereabouts, or I shall flay you to within an inch of your life in front of all your young friends, clear?”  
“Uh... I... Uh...”  
“I am waiting”  
Mako took a deep breath and explained how Korra or Avani had fallen ill, how he had found Kuvira and how she had gone into a shop to buy some food before coming back here. “That's all I got”  
“He's not lying, Su”  
“Then she was here... But she got us to come out all this way to be gone when we got here... Why?”  
“I may have an answer for you” Katara and Mako rejoined them, “there was a young girl in the basement who was quite close to death... I've done what I can for her but she's still weak”  
“That's such a Kuvira thing to do, find someone in need of help and do whatever she can to provide that help. Then run off again so we can't take her back, of course,” Suyin chuckled bitterly. “She is of course in for the punishment of a lifetime when we finally get her home”  
“Su... She's just a young teenager, you used to do things like this all the time when we were kids”  
Before Suyin could retaliate with words or actions, Katara interrupted, “The girl needs some more medical attention, she's no longer in any immediate danger, but the poison took a lot out of her”  
“Poison?! What poison?!” Mako yelled  
“Easy...” Katara rested a wrinkled hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, “now I don't know what it does but I've eliminated every trace I could. She hasn't had anything out of the ordinary recently has she?”  
“Avani only came here a few days ago, ma’am”  
“And she hasn’t drunk or eaten anything out of the ordinary?”  
“No ma'am, just water”  
“Then it must be withdrawals. These won't be pleasant for her but she's no longer in any danger”  
“Thank you miss”  
“Call me Katara”  
“THE Katara?” Bolin gasped and waved his hands in excitement  
“Yup, that's me”  
“Come on aunt Katara, we've gotta get back out there and search for Kuvira, she can't have gone far”  
Katara sighed, “well this is goodbye, make sure you tell Avani to get lots of rest” Katara left with her group  
“I can't believe it... I met THE Katara!”  
“Shut it, Bo, you're going to disturb Avani”  
“Sorry”


	5. Kuvira

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira returns but gets more than she had expected

“Bo, go get the door” Mako ordered at the knocking noise thinking how nice it was for whoever it was too actually knock  
Bolin’s voice echoed out, “Kuvira?”  
Mako dropped the drink he was carrying to Korra with a smash. “You!!” He stormed to the front door, “YOU!!”  
“Back off Mako, I'm not here to see you”  
“Is that...?” Korra croaked weakly to Skoochy who shrugged, she was still downstairs and in bed  
“You! They came here, to my house, broke my door down and threatened to flay me alive!!” Mako yelled, “all because you left!!!” Mako was in a towering temper and since it had only been a few hours since Suyin and Lin had broken down the door with an elderly woman in tow, he hadn’t yet had time to calm down  
“Did they see to Avani?”  
“Why do you care?”  
“Because I'm like her”  
“What bollocks, if you were without parents, why were those adults threatening me to find you?”  
“Did they heal Avani?” Kuvira's voice was raised too, “if you don't get out of my way, I'll move you aside”  
“This is MY house!”  
“Where MY friend is desperately ill!”  
“Mako, maybe you should just...”  
“Butt out, Bo”  
“Move”  
“No!”

“Mak?” Korra was leaning heavily on the wall having slid along it as she walked up the stairs towards the commotion  
“Ugh” Skoochy groaned from below, “Avani, where are you?”  
“Avani!!” Kuvira shoved Mako to one side and ran to the other girl  
“Kuv...” Avani relaxed in Kuvira's firm grip, “leave her alone Mako” she snapped, nearly taking the fast way back down the stairs when she attempted to stand by herself  
“Easy” Kuvira breathed, “easy” Kuvira allowed Korra to lean against her  
Korra gripped Kuvira's arm tightly and reached out to touch her cheek, “I was scared when you ran off”  
“Well...” Kuvira looked down ashamedly, “I'm here now, Avani, if you still want me around” she looked up hopefully  
“Yes.” Korra replied without hesitation, “I do”  
Kuvira relaxed a little and sighed, “let's get you back to bed Avani” she whispered, “then someone had better tell me what's wrong with her, or I'll be forced to make things unpleasant. What was it she threatened to do, Mako?”  
“An older woman, Lin I think her name was, told me she'd flay me alive”  
“Right, that's a good place to start then” Kuvira glared menacingly at Mako, “I don't blame her, I've only known you for about twenty minutes and I want to flay you alive!” She took a step towards Mako and he backed away unconsciously, “next time, stay out of my way”  
“Kuv...” Korra was worried

“Come on you” Kuvira moved closer to Korra, picked her up and carried her down the stairs, shutting the door behind her. She let out a snort of laughter and shook her head  
“What's so funny?” Korra grumbled indignantly  
“That must've been my Aunt Lin, please excuse her, she has the stubbornness of an earthbender and the temper of a firebender, my mom wouldn't have ever been so rough, well not at first anyway”  
“You said you don't have any parents?”  
“I don't”  
“I'm confused”  
“Avani, I was adopted. My parents hurt me and eventually abandoned me when I left the house to cry for a few hours”  
“I'm so sorry, Kuvira” Avani couldn't help it, she felt deeply for Kuvira's situation even though she hadn't experienced anything like it. She also felt guilt, overwhelming guilt that she knew was completely irrational yet it was still there  
“Avani?”  
“Mmm?”  
“You were miles away”  
“Sorry”  
“It's fine, so long as you tell me what you were thinking”  
“I felt guilty”  
“Guilty, why?” Kuvira paused and looked the younger girl in the eyes  
“I don't know, it’s irrat... Irrat...”  
“Irrational?”  
“Yep, that” Korra pouted at not being able to say what she wanted to without help, “but it's still there as if there was something that should've been done to stop it. Something I should've done”  
“Avani, you would've been about four when I last saw my parents, my real parents”  
“As I said, irrational”  
“Well done Avani” Kuvira smiled and helped the younger girl to lie down. “Now, I'll finish my story then you'll have to get some sleep while I find out what happened”  
“Right”  
“I was picked up by my 'mom’” Kuvira made no attempt to hide her contempt for that person, “and she took me in even though I was always treated like an outsider, and because I could bend... Bend incredibly well in fact, she wanted me to give up my own future for her crazy little rebellion”  
“Rebellion?”  
“Against the Fire Nation” Kuvira sighed, “so one day I decided I’d had enough, packed my bags and did a runner, bending the domes and the rock between myself and freedom” she paused, “I've been running ever since, running from her, her sister, my 'siblings' and their rebellion. My mom was none other than Suyin Beifong”  
“Oh, Kuvira” Korra whispered, “thank you for trusting me” she held her arms open wide and made grabbing motions with her hands  
“Oh grabby hands, you are too cute, Avani” Kuvira cuddled Korra then pushed her over into bed  
“Hey!” Korra grabbed Kuvira's hand and pulled her over with her where she stayed, gently kissing the younger girl's face. “Kuvira?”  
“I'm... Sorry... I... Just... Find... You... Cute... And... Irresistible...” Kuvira whispered  
“I... Kinda... Feel... The... Same...” Korra replied  
“You're... Fourteen...?”  
“Yep...”  
“I'm... Sixteen...”  
“Who... Cares...? Cuddle... Me... Kuvy...”  
“Alright... ‘Vani...”  
“I've... Never... Just... Kissed... Someone... Before...”  
“We... Can... Stop...”  
“No” Korra threw herself into the kisses more and Kuvira relaxed, she hadn't wanted to push the younger girl into anything, then she remembered Avani had initiated the kissing and smiled widely.


	6. Uprising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A group of citizens prepare to stage an uprising against the Fire Nation

Kuvira and Korra woke at nearly the same time, they looked into each other’s eyes for a second then were back kissing each other, mutually moving into a better position where they both had better access to each other's lips. It was still relatively early but neither Korra nor Kuvira wanted to go back to sleep when they both knew they were attracted to one another. “I... Can't... Believe... I... Ever... Fell... For... A... Bloke” Kuvira muttered between kisses  
“I’ve... always... known... I’m... a... lesbian...” Korra replied  
“Korra...?” Mako poked his head around the door and flushed a bright red when he saw Korra and Kuvira were cuddling and exploring. “Sorry...” he pulled back quickly, rather relieved that both girls were covered by the bedsheets  
“Mako?”  
“I just wanted to see how you were doing?” Mako seemed to get even more awkward around Korra than he had been before  
“I’m feeling better Mako” Korra replied  
“Good, I'm glad”

“DOWN WITH THE AVATAR! DOWN WITH THE AVATAR!”  
“Ugh. It's never too early for a hateful march these days” Kuvira groaned, she and Korra were both bothered by the hate that was so readily tangible in most places. Kuvira cuddled Korra reassuringly while the crowd got louder  
“Avatar Aang was meant to bring peace...”  
_Kor..._  
“...World, yet all he did was leave...”  
_Avani..._  
“...Ness... He and Roku have brought shame upon the entire history of the avatar!!”  
_Avani... Can you hear me?_  
“are you talking to me, Kuvy?”  
“No, 'Vani”  
“Oh right, nevermind” Korra pushed the voice out of her head. It had been a commanding and authoritative woman's voice that Korra felt she knew but had also never heard before  
“Avani?” Kuvira pulled Korra closer and their lips collided  
“Yes?”  
“I'm worried”  
“Why?”  
Before Kuvira could explain, Mako barged into the room, “they're coming this way!”  
Korra leapt to her feet and charged outside having struggled with her clothes for a few seconds. She was joined swiftly by Bolin and Kuvira, they worked together to create a barrier between the mob and the town to protect the town. “Ready?” Korra turned to Mako who nodded and he was lifted on a pillar of earth to see over the wall that had been formed

“Disperse!” Mako yelled over the noise of the crowd, something felt off to him  
“No” one man declared  
“I'll arrest you”  
“I've been trained to cope with your kind”  
“My kind?”  
“Brutish firebender thugs, of course”  
“Thugs?” Mako glared at the man whose face was hidden behind a distinctive mask, “I'm an officer of the law”  
“You’re all the same to me... I represent the Equalists, I am the Lieutenant and my leader, Amon, wnts to send a message to the firebender thugs out there...” he paused, “Amon will come for you, all of you. He will destroy your military and remove your ability to brutalise the innocent civilians under your 'protection'. He will take your bending using a gift from the spirits, all firebenders will be cleansed of their impurities. Other benders, so long as you stay out of our way, we won't harm you” _yet_ he thought privately to himself, _in time the whole world will be equalised_ , “The underground resistance movement have given up their efforts to help ordinary people like yourselves so join us and help or stay out of our way. If you decide to work against us, you'll be treated just like any other firebending thug.” The man concluded  
“Asshole!” Mako yelled  
“Dispose of him” the Lieutenant ordered. Several bolas flew towards Mako who jumped down into the crowd with a crackle of fire to scare the civilians off. Only the Lieutenant and four other masked men were left, as a result of the masks, Mako couldn't see their faces. He yelped when an electrified bola wrapped around his legs, although he was able to bend the majority of the electricity away he was still weakened by the shock. He saw the Equalists move in then he blacked out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated for spelling and grammar


End file.
